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Leviticus 7:17 — Word Study

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WLCוְהַנּוֹתָ֖ר מִבְּשַׂ֣ר הַזָּ֑בַח בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י בָּאֵ֖שׁ יִשָּׂרֵֽף׃

BSABut any meatbâsâr [flesh, body] of the sacrificezebach [offering to God, act of devotion] remainingyâthar [left over, to remain] until the thirdshᵉlîyshîy [third in sequence, a period of time] dayyôwm must be burned upsâraph [consumed with fire, set on fire, completely, entirely]

Word
Listen & take awayLeviticus 7
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 17 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (yi.sa.Ref) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Leviticus 7:17quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse instructs that any leftover meat from the sacrifice on the third day must be completely burned.
Who is speakingThe speaker is God, providing guidelines for sacrificial practices.
Where we areThis verse is part of the laws concerning sacrifices in Leviticus.
The hard wordיָתַר
Take awayLeftover meat must not be consumed after the designated time; it must be burned.
5 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbשָׂרַף The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Leviticus 7:17

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — Laws Regarding Sacrificesgenerated

16If, however, the sacrifice he offers is a vow or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, but the remainder may be eaten on the next day.
17But any meat of the sacrifice remaining until the third day must be burned up.
18If any of the meat from his peace offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted. It will not be credited to the one who presented it; it shall be an abomination, and the one who eats of it shall bear his iniquity.
19Meat that touches anything unclean must not be eaten; it is to be burned up. As for any other meat, anyone who is ceremonially clean may eat it.

Leviticus 7:17 provides specific instructions on how to handle the meat of sacrifices. It emphasizes the importance of consuming the sacrifice within a certain timeframe and the necessity of burning any leftovers after the third day. This reflects the seriousness with which God regards the offerings made to Him, ensuring they are treated with respect and not wasted.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Leviticus 19:7If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is tainted and will not be accepted.
2Genesis 22:4On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
3Exodus 19:11and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
4Hosea 6:2After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence.
51 Corinthians 15:4that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יָתַר, ve.ha.no.Targenerated

The word יָתַר (yathar) is a verb that means to remain or be left over. It indicates that something is not only left but also implies a sense of preservation or excess. In this context, it specifically refers to the meat of the sacrifice that is not consumed within the prescribed time.

The parsing as a Niphal participle suggests an ongoing state of being left over, emphasizing that the meat must be dealt with appropriately after the designated period.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb is יִשָּׂרֵֽף, it will be burned, which governs the entire clause. The sentence structure indicates that the condition of the meat being leftover leads directly to the command of burning it.

The phrase וְהַנּוֹתָ֖ר serves as the subject, indicating what must be burned. The sentence is straightforward, with a clear cause-and-effect relationship between the state of the meat and the required action.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָתַר as καταλειφθὲν, meaning 'left behind'. This choice highlights the notion of something being intentionally set aside rather than merely leftover, suggesting a deliberate action regarding the meat.

The use of καταλειφθὲν may imply a stronger emphasis on the importance of the meat's status and the necessity of its proper disposal.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Leviticus 7:17 states that any meat from the sacrifice that is left over until the third day must be burned. This shows the importance of handling sacrificial meat properly and not allowing it to be consumed after a certain time.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What happens to the leftover meat from the sacrifice?

It must be burned if it remains until the third day.

Why is it important to burn the leftover meat?

Burning the leftover meat ensures that it is not consumed after the designated time, maintaining the sanctity of the sacrifice.

What does this verse teach about sacrificial practices?

It emphasizes the need for proper handling and respect for offerings made to God.

How does this relate to other sacrificial laws?

It is part of a broader set of guidelines in Leviticus that govern how sacrifices should be conducted.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does this verse teach us about the importance of following God's instructions?
  2. How can we apply the principle of respecting offerings in our own lives?
  3. What does the act of burning the leftover meat symbolize in terms of devotion to God?
  4. In what ways can we ensure we are honoring God with our sacrifices today?

Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Leviticus 7:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day,.... What remained of it uneaten on the second day, and was kept till the third: shall be burnt with fire; that it might neither

Read John Gill on Leviticus 7 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning. Eaten the same day that it is offered.

Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 7 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

That it might neither putrefy, and thereby be exposed to contempt; nor yet be reserved either for superstitious abuse, or for the priest’ s domestic use, which would savour of covetousness, and of distrust of God’ s care for their future provisions.

Read Matthew Poole on Leviticus 7 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Leviticus 7:17 But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.Ver. 17. On the third day.] Foreshadowing the resurrection of Christ on the third day, whereby all legal ceremonies were abolished, and had no use in the Church, but by accident; as he who bnildeth a vault, letteth the centrals stand till he put in the keystone, and then pulleth them away.

Read John Trapp on Leviticus 7 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) But the remainder of the flesh.—If, however, the sacrifices were very plentiful, or if through niggardliness of the owners a sufficient number of poor guests were not invited, so that the victim could not be eaten up within the time specified, all that remained on the third day was to be burnt.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Leviticus 7 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

But any meat of the sacrifice remaining until the third day must be burned up.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

but what remains of the meat of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned with fire.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

But any meat of the sacrifice remaining until the third day must be burned up.

NETBNew English Translation2006

but the leftovers from the meat of the sacrifice must be burned up in the fire on the third day.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

but that which remaineth of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.

RVARevised Version, American1894

but that which remaineth of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

But as much of the offered flesh as remaineth vnto the third day, shalbe burnt with fire.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

and the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned with fire.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and the remnant of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day with fire is burnt;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and the remnant of the flesh of the sacrifice is burned with fire on the third day;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

But what is left of the flesh of the sacrifice, on the third day shall it be burnt with fire.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

However, whatever meat of the sacrifice remains on the third day must be burned.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

But whatsoever shall be found on the third day shall be consumed with fire.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

However, any meat of the sacrifice still remaining on the third day must be burned.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

But if any of the flesh of the offering is still unused on the third day, it is to be burned with fire.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וְandclausenoun phrase · subjectהַthenoun phraseclauseverbנּוֹתָ֖רremainderprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִofnoun phraseבְּשַׂ֣רthe.meatnoun phraseהַofזָּ֑בַחthe.sacrificeprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּonnoun phrasethenoun phraseיּוֹם֙daynumeral phraseהַ(the)שְּׁלִישִׁ֔יthirdprepositional phrase · prepositionalבָּwithnoun phrase(the)אֵ֖שׁfireverbיִשָּׂרֵֽףit.will.be.burned

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text is supported by both the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agree word for word. This consistency across witnesses reinforces the reliability of the text regarding sacrificial practices.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וְהַנּוֹתָ֖ר מִבְּשַׂ֣ר הַזָּ֑בַח בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י בָּאֵ֖שׁ יִשָּׂרֵֽף׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְהַנּוֹתָ֖רκαταλειφθὲνמִבְּשַׂ֣רκρεῶνהַזָּ֑בַחθυσίαςבַּיּוֹם֙ἡμέραςהַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔יτρίτηςבָּאֵ֖שׁπυρὶיִשָּׂרֵֽף׃κατακαυθήσεται

7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

והנותר מבשׂר הזבח ביום השׁלישׁי באשׁ ישׂרף

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Leviticus 7:17יָתַרand the remand the remaindיָתַרבָּשָׂרof [the] meof [the] meat oבָּשָׂרזֶ֫בַחthe sacrifithe sacrificeזֶ֫בַחיוֹםon the dayon the dayיוֹםשְׁלִישִׁיthirdthirdשְׁלִישִׁיאֵשׁwith firewith fireאֵשׁשָׂרַףit will be it will be burnשָׂרַףזָבַחto sacrifito sacrificeזָבַחבָּשַׂרto bear tito bear tidingsבָּשַׂרשָׁלֹשׁthreethreeשָׁלֹשׁקְהָתKohathKohathקְהָתבֹּ֫קֶרmorningmorningבֹּ֫קֶרעוֹרskinskinעוֹרעֶ֫צֶםboneboneעֶ֫צֶםשֶׁ֫לֶםpeace offepeace offeringשֶׁ֫לֶםשְׁבִיעִיseventhseventhשְׁבִיעִישַׁבָּתSabbathSabbathשַׁבָּתהִיןhinhinהִיןרְבִיעִיfourthfourthרְבִיעִילֶהָבָהflameflameלֶהָבָהיָצַתto kindleto kindleיָצַתאֵשׁfirefireאֵשׁחוּץoutsideoutsideחוּץ
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Leviticus 7:17

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and the remainder of [the] meat of the sacrifice on the day third with fire it will be burned
וְהַנּוֹתָ֖רve.ha.no.Tar and the remainder H3498 Conjunction · particle · verb niphal participle (active) masculine singular
106× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yâthar' means to remain or be left, and can also mean to excel or have more than enough, often translated as 'remain' or 'preserve'.
Amplified meaning
left over, to remain
Tyndale gloss
to remain
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָתַר (yathar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to remain or be left over. It encompasses various nuances, including leaving a remnant, excelling, and preserving alive. The entries indicate that it can express both the idea of excess and the act of leaving something behind. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[יָתַר] 107 vb. remain over

Qal Pt. the remainder

Niph. be left over, remain over

Hiph.

leave over, leave

abs. leave a remnant

save over, i.e. presevre alive

excel, shew pre-eminence

shew excess = have more than enough

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3498 [יָתַר] remain over .Pt. the remainder

. be left over, remain over

. . . leave over, leave

. abs. leave a remnant

. save over, i.e. presevre alive

. excel, shew pre-eminence

. shew excess = have more than enough

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3498 yathar yaw-thar'

a primitive root; to jut over or exceed; by implication, to

excel; (intransitively) to remain or be left; causatively, to

leave, cause to abound, preserve:--excel, leave (a remnant),

left behind, too much, make plenteous, preserve, (be, let)

remain(-der, -ing, - nant), reserve, residue, rest.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָתַר (ya.tar) — to remain.

1) to be left over, remain, remain over, leave

1a) (Qal) remainder (participle)

1b) (Niphal) to be left over, remain over, be left behind

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to leave over, leave

1c2) to save over, preserve alive

1c3) to excel, show pre-eminence

1c4) to show excess, have more than enough, have an excess

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Art | V-Niphal — Conjunction · particle · verb niphal participle (active) masculine singular
HC/Td/VNrmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

re-man'-der (yathar, "to be left," she'erith, "remnant"): In 2Sa 14:7 "residue" would have been clearer (compare Ps 76:10), but the changes of the Revised Version (British and American) in Le 6:16; 7:16,17 are pointless (contrast Ex 29:34).

and the remainder of [the] meat of the sacrifice on the day third with fire it will be burned
מִבְּשַׂ֣רmi.be.Sar of [the] meat of H1320 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
270× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for flesh refers to the body or a person, and can also describe living things or animals. In the Bible, it is used to describe humans and animals, as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
flesh, body
Tyndale gloss
flesh
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּשָׂר (basar) means 'flesh' and encompasses various meanings, including the physical body, kinship, and a euphemism for male genitalia. It can refer to humans, animals, and all living things, highlighting the frailty of man in relation to God. The entries consistently emphasize its bodily and relational aspects.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּשָׂר 266 n.m. flesh

of the body

flesh for the body itself

male organ of generation (euphemism)

flesh for kindred, blood-relations

man over against God as frail or erring

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1320 בָּשָׂר flesh . of the body

. flesh for the body itself

. male organ of generation (euphemism)

. flesh for kindred, blood-relations

. man over against God as frail or erring

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1320 basar baw-sawr'

from 1319; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body,

person; also (by euphem.) the pudenda of a man:--body, (fat,

lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-)kind, + nakedness, self, skin.

see HEBREW for 01319

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּשָׂר (ba.sar) — flesh.

1) flesh

1a) of the body

1a1) of humans

1a2) of animals

1b) the body itself

1c) male organ of generation (euphemism)

1d) kindred, blood-relations

1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God)

1f) all living things

1g) animals

1h) mankind

Aramaic equivalent: be.shar (בְּשַׁר "flesh" H1321)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and the remainder of [the] meat of the sacrifice on the day third with fire it will be burned
הַזָּ֑בַחha.Za.vach the sacrifice H2077 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
162× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A sacrifice refers to the act of offering an animal's flesh to God, such as in the sacrifices of righteousness or the Passover. This term encompasses various types of sacrifices, including thank offerings and covenant sacrifices. The KJV translates it as 'offer' or 'sacrifice'.
Amplified meaning
offering to God, act of devotion
Tyndale gloss
sacrifice
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זֶ֫בַח (zebach) means 'sacrifice' and is derived from a root meaning 'to slaughter.' It encompasses various types of sacrifices, including those for feasts, covenant sacrifices, and thank offerings. The term appears in contexts related to both the God of Israel and other deities, indicating its broad use in ritual practices.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זֶ֫בַח 162 n.m. sacrifice

general name for all sacrifices eaten at feasts

of the God of Israel

of other deities

there are several kinds which are gradually distinguished

the covenant sacrifice, between Jacob and Laban

the passover

annual sacrifice

thank offering

in ritual of H & P

the slaughter of hostile nations

the verb used

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2077 זֶ֫בַח sacrifice

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2077 zebach zeh'-bakh

from 2076; properly, a slaughter, i.e. the flesh of an

animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the

act):--offer(- ing), sacrifice.

see HEBREW for 02076

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זֶ֫בַח (ze.vach) — sacrifice.

1) sacrifice

1a) sacrifices of righteousness

1b) sacrifices of strife

1c) sacrifices to dead things

1d) the covenant sacrifice

1e) the passover

1f) annual sacrifice

1g) thank offering

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sak'-ri-fis, sak'-ri-fiz:

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

I. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

II. ORIGIN AND NATURE OF SACRIFICES

1. Theory of a Divine Revelation

2. Theories of a Human Origin

(1) The Gift-Theory

(2) The Magic Theory

(3) The Table-Bond Theory

(4) The Sacramental Communion Theory

(5) The Homage Theory

(6) The Piacular Theory

(7) Originating Religious Instincts

III. CLASSIFICATION OF SACRIFICES

1. Maimonides

2. W.R. Smith and Others

3. Oehler

4. Paterson and Others

5. H.M. Wiener

IV. SACRIFICES IN THE PRE-MOSAIC AGE

1. In Egypt

2. In Babylonia

3. Nomads and Tribes of Arabia and Syria

4. The Offerings of Cain and Abel

5. Of Noah

6. Of Abraham

7. Of Job

8. Of Isaac

9. Of Jacob

10. Of Israel in Egypt

11. Of Jethro

12. Summary and Conclusions

V. THE MOSAIC SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM

1. The Covenant Sacrifice

2. The Common Altars

3. The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons

4. Sacrifices before the Golden Calf

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Sacrifice

The offering up of sacrifices is to be regarded as a divine institution. It did not originate with man. God himself appointed it as the mode in which acceptable worship was to be offered to him by guilty man. The language and the idea of sacrifice pervade the whole Bible.

Sacrifices were offered in the ante-diluvian age. The Lord clothed Adam and Eve with the skins of animals, which in all probability had been offered in sacrifice (Gen. 3:21). Abel offered a sacrifice “of the firstlings of his flock” (4:4; Heb. 11:4). A distinction also was made between clean and unclean animals, which there is every reason to believe had reference to the offering up of sacrifices (Gen. 7:2, 8), because animals were not given to man as…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The peculiar features of each kind of sacrifice are referred to under their respective heads. I. (A) ORIGIN OF SACRIFICE. --The universal prevalence of sacrifice shows it to have been primeval, and deeply rooted in the instincts of humanity. Whether it was first enjoined by an external command, or whether it was based on that sense of sin and lost communion with God which is stamped by his hand on the heart of man, is a historical question which cannot be determined. (B) ANTE-MOSAIC HISTORY OF SACRIFICE. --In examining the various sacrifices recorded in Scripture before the establishment of the law, we find that the words specially denoting expiatory sacrifice are not applied to them. This fact does not at all show that they were not actually expiatory, but it justified the inference that this idea was not then the prominent one in the doctrine of sacrifice. The sacrifices of Cain and…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

An offering made to God on his altar, by the hand of a lawful minister. A sacrifice differed from an oblation; it was properly the offering up of a life; whereas an oblation was but a simple offering or gift. There is every reason to believe that sacrifices were from the first of divine appointment; otherwise they would have been a superstitious will-worship, which God could not have accepted as he did. See ABEL. Adam and his sons, Noah and his descendents, Abraham and his posterity, Job and Melchizedek, before the Mosaic law, offered to God real sacrifices. That law did but settle the quality, the number, and other circumstances of sacrifices. Every one was priest and minister of his own sacrifice; at least, he was at liberty to choose what priest he pleased in offering his victim. Generally, this honor belonged to the head of a family; hence it was the prerogative of the firstborn.…

and the remainder of [the] meat of the sacrifice on the day third with fire it will be burned
בַּיּוֹם֙bai.yOm on the day H3117 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,306× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
day
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יוֹם 2285 n.m. day

day, opp. night

Day as division of time

יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

Pl. days of anyone

Days

יוֹם = time

Phrases

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night

. Day as division of time

. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

. Pl. days of anyone

. Days

. יוֹם = time

. Phrases

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3117 yowm yome

from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm

hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one

sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by

an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +

chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)

day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +

(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as

(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,

presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,

then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,

weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole

(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יוֹם (yom) — day.

: day/when/time/period

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: old.

: old/(full/many)[days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: year.

: year[of_days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HRd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

da (yom; hemera): This common word has caused some trouble to plain readers, because they have not noticed that the word is used in several different senses in the English Bible. When the different uses of the word are understood the difficulty of interpretation vanishes. We note several different uses of the word:

(1) It sometimes means the time from daylight till dark. This popular meaning is easily discovered by the context, e. g. Ge 1:5; 8:22, etc. The marked periods of this daytime were morning, noon and night, as with us. See Ps 55:17. The early hours were sometimes called "the cool of the day" (Ge 3:8). After the exile the day. or daytime was divided into twelve hours and the night into twelve (see

Day

The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps. 55:17). “The heat of the day” (1 Sam. 11:11; Neh. 7:3) was at our nine o’clock, and “the cool of the day” just before sunset (Gen. 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (Lam. 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Judg. 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex.…

The variable length of the natural day at different seasons led in the very earliest times to the adoption of the civil day (or one revolution of the sun) as a standard of time. The Hebrews reckoned the day from evening to evening, (Leviticus 23:32) deriving it from (Genesis 1:5) "the evening and the morning were the first day." The Jews are supposed, like the modern Arabs, to have adopted from an early period minute specifications of the parts of the natural day. Roughly, indeed, they were content to divide it into "morning, evening and noonday," (Psalms 55:17) but when they wished for greater accuracy they pointed to six unequal parts, each of which was again subdivided. These are held to have been -- "the dawn." "Sunrise."…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The day is distinguished into natural, civil, and artificial. The natural day is one revolution of the earth on its axis. The civil day is that, the beginning and the end of which are determined by the custom of any nation. The Hebrews began their day in the evening, Le 23:32; the Babylonians at sunrise; and we begin at midnight. The artificial day is the time of the sun’s continuance above the horizon, which is unequal according to different seasons, on account of the obliquity of the equator. The sacred writers generally divide the day into twelve hours. The sixth hour always ends at noon throughout the year; and the twelfth hour is the last hour before sunset. But in summer, all the hours of the day were longer than in winter, while those of night were shorter. See HOURS, and THREE.

and the remainder of [the] meat of the sacrifice on the day third with fire it will be burned
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔יha.she.li.Shi third H7992 Particle
107× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means third in a sequence, like a third day or year. It is used in the Bible to describe time, rank, or quantity, such as the third day of creation in Genesis.
Amplified meaning
third in sequence, a period of time
Tyndale gloss
third
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁלִישִׁי (shliyshiy) means 'third' and is used as an ordinal number. It can refer to a third part, time, or rank, and can also denote a third-story cell. The entries indicate its feminine form as שְׁלִישִׁית and note its relation to the number three.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁלִישִׁי m. שְׁלִישִׁית f. adj.num.ord. 108 third

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7992 שְׁלִישִׁי, שְׁלִישִׁית third

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7992 shliyshiy shel-ee-shee'

ordinal from 7969; third; feminine a third (part); by

extension, a third (day, year or time); specifically, a

third-story cell):--third (part, rank, time), three (years

old).

see HEBREW for 07969

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁלִישִׁי (she.li.shi) — third.

1) third, one third, third part, third time

1a) ordinal number

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Adj — Particle
HTd/Aomsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

thurd (shelishi; tritos): Isa 19:24, "In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria," etc., brings out very distinctly the universal and missionary character of Isaiah's prophecies and of Israel's destiny (compare Eze 16:63; and see G. A. Smith, Isaiah, II, 275, 278; Watkinson, Th. Blind Spot 21 ff).

For "third hour," "third month," "third year," see CALENDAR; DAY; TIME.

and the remainder of [the] meat of the sacrifice on the day third with fire it will be burned
בָּאֵ֖שׁba.'Esh with fire H784 Preposition · noun common both singular absolute
378× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Fire is a powerful symbol in the Bible, representing both God's anger and his refining presence, as seen in Deuteronomy 4:24 and Malachi 3:2-3. It is also used for cooking and warmth. This concept is central to many biblical stories.
Tyndale gloss
fire
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵשׁ (esh) means 'fire' and encompasses various types, including natural fire, supernatural fire associated with divine appearances, and fire used for cooking or on altars. It can also figuratively represent God's anger. The entries consistently highlight its literal and metaphorical uses, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵשׁ 377 n.f. fire

fire, of conflagration

of supernatural fire

fire for cooking, roasting, parching

esp. of altar fire

fig. of Yahweh's anger

in various combinations

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H784 אֵשׁ fire . fire, of conflagration

. of supernatural fire

. fire for cooking, roasting, parching

. esp. of altar fire

. fig. of Yahweh's anger

. in various combinations

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

784 'esh aysh

a primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively):--

burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵשׁ (esh) — fire.

1) fire

1a) fire, flames

1b) supernatural fire (accompanying theophany)

1c) fire (for cooking, roasting, parching)

1d) altar-fire

1e) God's anger (fig.)

Aramaic equivalent: esh (אֶשָּׁא "fire" H0785)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Ncbsa — Preposition · noun common both singular absolute
HRd/Ncbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fir ('esh; pur):

These are the common words for fire, occurring very frequently. 'Ur, "light" (Isa 24:15 the King James Version; compare the Revised Version (British and American); Isa 31:9, and see FIRES), nur (Aramaic) (Da 3:22 ff) are found a few times, also 'eshshah (Jer 6:29), and be`erah (Ex 22:6), once each. Ac 28:2,3 has pura, "pyre," and Mr 14:54; Lu 22:56, phos, "light," the Revised Version (British and American) "in the light (of the fire)." "To set…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Fire

(1.) For sacred purposes. The sacrifices were consumed by fire (Gen. 8:20). The ever-burning fire on the altar was first kindled from heaven (Lev. 6:9, 13; 9:24), and afterwards rekindled at the dedication of Solomon’s temple (2 Chr. 7:1, 3). The expressions “fire from heaven” and “fire of the Lord” generally denote lightning, but sometimes also the fire of the altar was so called (Ex. 29:18; Lev. 1:9; 2:3; 3:5, 9).

Fire for a sacred purpose obtained otherwise than from the altar was called “strange fire” (Lev. 10:1, 2;

is represented as the symbol of Jehovah’s presence and the instrument of his power, in the way either of approval or of destruction. (Exodus 3:2; 14:19) etc. There could not be a better symbol for Jehovah than this of fire, it being immaterial, mysterious, but visible, warming, cheering, comforting, but also terrible and consuming. Parallel with this application of fire and with its symbolical meaning are to be noted the similar use for sacrificial purposes and the respect paid to it, or to the heavenly bodies as symbols of deity, which prevailed among so many nations of antiquity, and of which the traces are not even now extinct; e.g. the Sabean and Magian systems of worship. (Isaiah 27:9) Fire for sacred purposes obtained elsewhere than from the altar was called "strange fire," and for the use of such Nadab and Abihu were punished…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In Scripture, is often connected with the presence of Jehovah; as in the burning bush, and on Mount Sinai, Ex 3:2 19:18 Ps 18:1-50 Hab 1:1-3:19. The second coming of Christ will be "in flaming fire," 2Th 1:8. In the New Testament it illustrates the enlightening, cheering, and purifying agency of the Holy Spirit, Mt 3:11 Ac 2:3. By sending fire from heaven to consume sacrifices, God often signified his acceptance of them: as in the case of Abel, Ge 4:4; Abraham, Ge…

and the remainder of [the] meat of the sacrifice on the day third with fire it will be burned
יִשָּׂרֵֽף׃yi.sa.Ref it will be burned H8313 Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine singular
117× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to set something on fire, and is used in the Bible to describe burning or kindling flames, like in Psalm 83:14. It can also mean to utterly destroy something. The word is related to fire and burning, and is used in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
consumed with fire, set on fire, completely, entirely
Tyndale gloss
to burn
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׂרַף (*saraph*) is a primitive root meaning 'to burn.' It encompasses various forms, including Qal (to burn), Niphal (to be burned), Piel (burner), and Pual (to be burnt up). The entries suggest a focus on the act of burning and its implications, with no significant disagreements noted among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׂרַף 117 vb. burn

Qal burn

Niph. be burned

Pi. his burner, usu. one burning him, but prob. burning spices for him

Pu. it was burnt up (and gone).

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8313 שָׂרַף burn

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8313 saraph saw-raf'

a primitive root; to be (causatively, set) on fire:--(cause

to, make a) burn((-ing), up) kindle, X utterly.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׂרַף (sa.raph) — to burn.

1) to burn

1a) (Qal) to burn

1b) (Niphal) to be burned

1c) (Piel) burner, burning (participle)

1d) (Pual) to be burnt up, be burned

Also means: sa.raph (סָרַף "to burn" H5635)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVNi3ms
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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